§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade pursuant to her Answer to the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) of 6 November 1997,Official Report, columns 296–97, if she will set out the ways in which the Euratom Safeguards Office scrutinises the United Kingdom plutonium stocks. [16853]
§ Mrs. BeckettAll civil nuclear material in the UK, including plutonium, is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the tripartite UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement. These require the regular provision of information by nuclear operators to the Euratom Safeguards Directorate. The UK's plutonium stocks, along with other civil nuclear material in the UK, are also subject to inspection by safeguards inspectors. Details of the reporting and associated procedures are set out in Commission Regulation (Euratom) No. 3227/76. I have placed copies of the Regulation in the library of the House.